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Sunday, March 09, 2014

Fraise des Bois Week!

This has been FRAISE DES BOIS WEEK for me in more ways than I can count.

It's the first time this yearBerthillon put fraise des bois up on the flavor board. Fraise des bois was the first and only flavor Berthillon offered when they opened in 1954. My landlord says he believes he was their 1st customer at age 4. He put a 1 franc coin on the counter for 1 boul (a single scoop) and is still eating fraise des bois today.

I went into the shop to get as many carte de visit cards as possible to put in your envelopes. Muriel (in the fraise des bois red sweater), the owner of the shop (her father and grandfather opened Berthillon) told me on Wednesday they were expecting a shipment from their special purveyor in Spain but the ice cream would take time to prepare. Come back Friday.

A little searching on the net and I found Frederic Cassel, Pierre Hermé and Berthillon'ssupplier Arzagot in Malaga - strawberry supplier to pastry stars of France.The line was pretty short on Friday. Even though I was on my way to lunch I figured I could have an ice cream 'apero' pre-lunch non?

Ahhhhhh...miam

There are whole berries in Berthillon's fraise des bois. I've never tasted it before. Just ,30 centimes more than the other flavors.

Living in Paris this past year has been one of the best years of my life but there are challenges. Counting out centimes has become a daily experience.

25 comments:

applaud your ability to make a life in Paris by doing lovely snippets of art with witty notes. Wether or not you realize this, people such as myself read your blog every day and squeal with delight. You bring us back to Paris if we haven't been in a while, and take us there if we've not been at all. I love your drawings, your sense of humor I and your charm. Can't wait for my letters - thanks Carol.

Berthillon's - what a delicious memory : ) I loved the rhubarb, but fraise des bois would probably be the hands-down winner. What a wonderful Pharrell Williams' Happiness song at the end - I'll be listening and smiling all day long while I finish up my taxes ... as soon as I pass on your blog to my friends. Bonne journée.

Splendid post, and I am so happy about the great response to your fabulous Paris letters offer!

Fraise des bois remind me of springtime in Rome, driving out to Lago di Nemi on weekends and buying wild little strawberries from roadside sellers who collected them in the woods around the lake. They strawberries were in baskets made out of twigs and leaves, their fragrance filling the inside of the car with their heady fragrance.

Looking forward to your little letters...what a great idea to do. I'm a watercolorist who's been to Paris a few times and enjoy hearing about all your delightful discoveries. Glad to help support your adventure!!!

I think that we make our own luck. Your talent made your luck, me thinks. That and your courage to follow your dreams. All followers of Paris Breakfasts love Paris, but you actually had the courage to make the move. I think we all envy & admire that, living vicariously through you. You deserve all of the good fortune that is coming your way, enjoy!